Field of the Invention
This invention relates to lawnmower accessories and, more particularly, to a lawnmower accessory for trimming grass and vegetation when installed on riding or deck lawnmowers.
Description of the Background
Riding lawnmowers are commonly used in both household and commercial settings. Lawnmower blades are manufactured from solid metal, are not flexible, and spin very fast in order to cut grass and other vegetation. As a result, lawnmower blades are typically covered by metal enclosures that prevent the user from harm from the blade directly, or indirectly from debris that the blade pushes away as it turns. The cover of the blades makes it difficult to reach places close to walls or trees. In order to reach these locations, the user typically needs to use a separate piece of equipment such as a handheld trimmer. The need for a separate piece of equipment requires the user to spend a longer amount of time in order to complete the task of mowing a particular tract of land.
Prior attempts at solving this problem comprise the permanent attachment of trimming accessories to lawnmowers as shown, for example, in US Patent Publication Nos. 2005/0193700A1 and 2004/0237491, and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,065,566; 5,167,108; 6,474,053; 6,487,838; 6,786,030; and 6,892,518. Others have attempted to solve this problem by placing an attachment for a trimmer to riding lawnmowers, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,986,238. The references cited herein are incorporated by reference in their entirety. The prior art, however, fails to provide a removable trimming attachment that is easy to use, can be easily attached to, and removed from, the mower, and that does not interfere with the normal operation of the lawnmower.